The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-04-08
said, shrinking away from the drip

up Ju6 SGE6dlm.
Moment after moment crept by.
The moon went down, darkness fell
entirely over the sluggish waves of the
river and yet the strange pair were
| silent.
The high banks disappeared, the
stream grew narrower, and at length
the stranger drew the boat close up
to theshore.
Madam" said the figure, bending
closer to Muriel, "tell me what yoa
think about this affair"
II think you have shot some one"
replied MurieI, awakening partially
from the trance.like feeling which had
crept over her.
you are right. Tonight l became
the murderer of Fred Warner"
Erred Warner is my husband, and
[ vas ON the river listening to his
voice." she said, in the same calm
tone.
"You will listen to his voice no
more, The woman that he brought
to Rocky Hill is my wife"
And then Muriel knew the name of
the mar who had rowed her boat that
night.
1t was Ralph R~esseguie, the banker
and the millionaire, whose home and
happiness her husband had ruined.
She had never met him before; but
she had heard often Of his generosity
and great wealth.
God have mercy tonight uponfo four
ofhis miserable creatures" she said.
still camly.
Three" corrected Resseguie, grim.
ly. "MurieI Warner, ] know the en-
tire history OF your life. l learned it
while l was hunting your husband
down. / ask nc sympathy. l have
done a deliberate murder. / do lot
wish youto conceal the mode of my
escape. Fred Warner was your hus-
band. He would have returned to
you after a time. l have made this i'm
possible. You have neither home o
friends. l have money, the accursed
stuff with which | have bought my
false wife. In a short time / shall
he hung for this murder. have no
relatives on whom to bestow my
wealth. 1t will all go to strangers.
Accept this packet, then; it is yours to
do with as you think best, and | cam
not but be thankful for the chance
which has thrown you in my way"
A packet dropped into Muriel War
ner's lap as these words were spoken.
The boat rocked slightly as the tall
figure sprang upon the shore, and then
| she was alone in the darkness upon
the river.
After this she wandered about the
world, a woman whose life and feelings
seemed benumbed forever. She knew
what had happened at Rocky Hill, but
had no desire to return there and gaze
upon the dead face of her husband.
She had no wish to return to the
friends who had GROVE, cold when mis-
fortune came upon her. She knew
that Ralph Resseguie had made her a
wealthy woman, but she felt none of
the scruples which she once would
have felt about accepting his money.
She v spoke Of that night IL the
boat to any with whom she came in
contact. She never heard whether
Ralph Resseguie was captured or not.
She lever knew what became of his
miserable wife.
Her past life seemed a half.forgotten
dream, and she was only dimly con-
scious of the reality OF anything.
At thirty-five years of age Muriel
Warner was q beautiful and cultured
woman. She had visited nearly all OF
tho countries of the Old World. Ac-
quaintances she made, but very few
friends, and these often wondered when
in reply to their inquiries she would
say:
az never read a newspaper. / never
write MOI receive a letter"
But her time ofawakening came, and
the ont to stir the dormant emotions
of her woman's heart was q stranger
and a man.
1t was at the Bahama Islands where
she first met Norman Van Ness.
He was forty years of age-a Hercu-
les in the ~fullness of his manhood, and
seemed to be attracted, nay, to love
her from the very first.
Her deep blue eyes 500 grew to
watch for him, and became soft and
tender beneath the light in his dark
ones, and with the growth of her new
love many of the feelings OF her youth
came back to her.
Father and mother, long forgotten,
became dear once more to her, and oft
en- she caught herself thinking.
eff he ever speaks, and if after |
have told him all, we are ever mar
ried, | viii get HIM otake me home to
my parents"
But he did not speak. Weeks grew
into months, and the longea-foryloye.
words never came. Muriel's heart
again began quivering with pain. She
knew not that its numbness had de-
parted forever.
Sometimes she felt that she ought
to move on; to get away from inlu-
anoao mhick paora Than liEalv would